Israel Folau, the Australian international rugby-football player and a committed Christian, recently posted a banner on his
Instagram account that read: "Drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars,
fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators - Hell awaits you.".
Folau has
apparently previously posted remarks in a similar vein on his personal website, which
aroused controversy, and for which he received an official warning from the
Australian RFU. His most recent comments above, aroused even more controversy,
and as a result Folau has been banned outright from playing Rugby union in
Australia, with automatic exclusion from the national team, and essentially deprived of his livelihood.
Israel Folau - https://www.flickr.com/photos/125524007@N08/ - https://www.flickr.com/photos/125524007@N08/33121716755/in/dateposted/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57409585
A few observations are surely called for:-
1. Folau’s comment
is taken directly from the Bible, the word of God.
2. It was posted on
his own personal Instagram website, and was not aimed at specific individuals.
3. It has been
taken up by the Australian Rugby Union authorities, yet It was not aimed at
them. They have made it an issue on which they consider that they have the
right to intervene and authority to adjudicate. But what gives them this right? Furthermore have they the right
to deprive a man of his livelihood for quoting the word of God?
4..An English top
class rugby player, Billy Vunipola, has expressed his agreement with Folau’s comments, as a result of which he
has been disciplined by his Club (Saracens) because of his Christian
views. Again what right does this Club
have to act in this way?
5. The silence from
‘supporters’ of Folau’s views has been deafening! Folau’s outspokenness may have been embarrassing to some, but what he has said is Christian teaching, yet I have
not seen one letter or article of
support in the national press. Of course this might just be because the Press have chosen not to publish them, although they may well have received them.
6 This matter has
been headlines in the national press for nearly three weeks, yet I have not seen any support for Folau’s
statement from representatives of the Christian hierarchy, of any denomination. This
matter is newsworthy and offers a real
opportunity for God’s word to be preached to the world.
7. Folau’s statement does not advocate violence in any
shape or form. It clearly is unpopular in certain quarters, no doubt because it advocates a way of life which flies in the
face of today’s hedonistic and materialistic culture which prefers to ignore
God and His commandments. Much of our society is uncomfortable when faced with
unpalatable moral truths, to which it has no answer except unjust punitive
reprisals. The cruel and barbaric punishment inflicted on Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the founder of Christianity, 'the Way, the Truth, and the Life', is the Cross that all Christians have to share in one way or another.
8. If the comment had been made by a different
person unknown to the media, whose sole intention was to preach the word of
God, as indeed was Fallou’s intention, would we have heard anything about it?. I doubt it.
9. Australian sport was recently in the headlines
because a Tennis centre named after the famous woman Australian tennis player
Margaret Court, eleven times winner of the Australian Open tennis championship,
has been the source of public controversy, with some players demanding that the Centre has a change of name.
The reason for this is that Margaret Court, now in her seventies, had expressed no support during or after her
playing career, for the LGBT cause, and in fact has alleged that since the
legalisation of same- sex marriage in Australia, lesbianism had become an unedifying and undesirable fact of life on the women’s tennis circuit. The ensuing controversy has now reached the stage whereby players opposed to Margaret Court's outspoken beliefs, are now refusing to use this centre, unless and until the
name had been changed.
10. In Folau’s case, I have seen on the internet, comments from
sportsmen and women worldwide criticising Folau. I have no doubt that he has at least as many supporters as critics, yet I have not seen any of their comments published.
11. It is interesting to note how much publicity the BBC has given this matter, clearly attributing to it great significance. On the internet BBC Sports page, Rugby Union section, it has published the same report about Folau for 17 days, and it has only been removed in the last day or two. Additionally it has published details
of the punitive action of the English
RFU against the Saracen's player, Billy Vunipola, who had the temerity
to support Falou. This report has been on the same sports page
as above for 13 days, and is still there.There have also been other criticisms of Folau, creating the impression of a witch-hunt against sportsmen and women who dare to profess their Christian faith? In the past, personal religious beliefs have rarely if ever, been a problem in sport, with personal religious beliefs accepted and respected, and the game goes on.
12.It may be that Folau's statement was unusual in that he spoke God's word without fear or favour, somewhat rare in our western society, but not so in many other parts of the world. But why has Folau been singled out among many other Christian proponents of Christ's teachings? Why is Australian Rugby Union so incensed? What has it got to do with them that Folau chooses to proclaim Christ's teachings on his personal website?
13. Is it that their criticism applies to the inclusion of 'homosexuality' in the list of sins? I suppose that if a homosexual lifestyle is not considered sinful, then to say that it is will be criticised If people hold this view, then so be it, but there is no need for a visceral war of words, or threats to one's job This situation is not new, neither is it unique. Folau has been openly preaching the Christian message for years, a message which itself has been around for 2000 years or so, and yet suddenly it has become an international issue! Is there an agenda in this matter, an agenda pursued perhaps by the LGBT lobby, who continue to actively try to impose the homosexual life-style on a generally unsympathetic society, regardless of the cost to religious belief and individual conscience?
14. This whole matter is ongoing and there could conceivably be many developments. Is the sandwich-board man with his message 'The Wages of Sin is Death' likely to fall foul of local business interests? What about the preacher in the pulpit doing his job and what he believes in, repeating the very message published by Folau, and leading souls to God? He may even publish details of his sermon on-line, to be seen by perhaps thousands of viewers, who will either accept or refuse his message. End of story! So why the unnecessarily heavy-handed and punitive action against Folau?
15. For those who appreciate appropriate biblical chapter and verse, I include numerous references relating to those sins high-lighted by Folau.
1 Cor 6/18-19 1Thess 4/3
1 Cor 5/1-3 Jude 1/7-8
1 Cor 5/9-11 Matt 15/19
1 Cor 7/2 1 Cor 6/15-20
12.It may be that Folau's statement was unusual in that he spoke God's word without fear or favour, somewhat rare in our western society, but not so in many other parts of the world. But why has Folau been singled out among many other Christian proponents of Christ's teachings? Why is Australian Rugby Union so incensed? What has it got to do with them that Folau chooses to proclaim Christ's teachings on his personal website?
13. Is it that their criticism applies to the inclusion of 'homosexuality' in the list of sins? I suppose that if a homosexual lifestyle is not considered sinful, then to say that it is will be criticised If people hold this view, then so be it, but there is no need for a visceral war of words, or threats to one's job This situation is not new, neither is it unique. Folau has been openly preaching the Christian message for years, a message which itself has been around for 2000 years or so, and yet suddenly it has become an international issue! Is there an agenda in this matter, an agenda pursued perhaps by the LGBT lobby, who continue to actively try to impose the homosexual life-style on a generally unsympathetic society, regardless of the cost to religious belief and individual conscience?
14. This whole matter is ongoing and there could conceivably be many developments. Is the sandwich-board man with his message 'The Wages of Sin is Death' likely to fall foul of local business interests? What about the preacher in the pulpit doing his job and what he believes in, repeating the very message published by Folau, and leading souls to God? He may even publish details of his sermon on-line, to be seen by perhaps thousands of viewers, who will either accept or refuse his message. End of story! So why the unnecessarily heavy-handed and punitive action against Folau?
15. For those who appreciate appropriate biblical chapter and verse, I include numerous references relating to those sins high-lighted by Folau.
1 Cor.6 9/11 ‘do you not know that the unjust will not
possess the kingdom of God. Do not err: ‘neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor the effeminate, nor sodomites,
nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor the evil-tongued, nor the
greedy, will possess the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but you have
been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified in the name of
Our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.’
1 Cor 6/13 Eph 5/51 Cor 6/18-19 1Thess 4/3
1 Cor 5/1-3 Jude 1/7-8
1 Cor 5/9-11 Matt 15/19
1 Cor 7/2 1 Cor 6/15-20
**********************
I feel somehow, that this post is incomplete, in that it presents certain questions but almost certainly does not provide the answers. I must admit that I wanted to express in writing some of my thoughts relating to this matter, without necessarily being clear in my own mind exactly what these thoughts were. I have done this to the best of my limited ability, and am aware that I have only touched the tip of the iceberg. I do think that this situation raises serious questions, viz. freedom of speech, the right to criticise on matters of conscience and principle, the powers of state and other authorities to become involved in controversial matters, what constitutes appropriate action in any particular case and the reasons governing it, etc .etc. Last but not least, I feel some satisfaction in being able to express my support and admiration for Israel Folau , an inspiration to us all. May God bless him.
I feel somehow, that this post is incomplete, in that it presents certain questions but almost certainly does not provide the answers. I must admit that I wanted to express in writing some of my thoughts relating to this matter, without necessarily being clear in my own mind exactly what these thoughts were. I have done this to the best of my limited ability, and am aware that I have only touched the tip of the iceberg. I do think that this situation raises serious questions, viz. freedom of speech, the right to criticise on matters of conscience and principle, the powers of state and other authorities to become involved in controversial matters, what constitutes appropriate action in any particular case and the reasons governing it, etc .etc. Last but not least, I feel some satisfaction in being able to express my support and admiration for Israel Folau , an inspiration to us all. May God bless him.
